Why must I kill you?
by onevoiceinamillion
Summary: Santana Lopez is the best assassin in Rome. But when guild master Miguel Lopez gives her the task of killing Brittany Pierce does she obey? Brittana!  it's glee meets assassin's creed so expect a little gore
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee, nor do I own Assassin's Creed**

Santana Lopez was like a shadow, melting along the rooftops as she swept soundlessly across them. Even when she leapt from building to building not a single thud could be heard. When she came across a guard she would either slit his throat or twist her dagger into his back piercing his heart, all in silence.

This is what she was _**born**_to do. Ever since she joined the guild as a young child she quickly became an expert in the ancient art of becoming an assassin, she was cool, sure footed, quick and could wield any weapon with breath taking skill. When she would practice in the yard, the older assassins would stop what they were doing and watch her, earning her high praise in the guild.

Today, she was one of the best assassins in the whole of Europe and the most feared in Italy. Countless posters littered the city of Rome of a hooded figure, only the lips visible with the sign "Wanted: Dead or Alive" adorning above the illustration. The little description below the picture described a man.

Whenever Santana saw this she would smirk to herself.

Sure there had been attempts made to capture her, but like smoke she just vanished. Sometimes if she could not melt away into the crowd a chase would ensue. Mostly the girl could lose them by climbing walls and jumping from building to building before finding a perfect hiding spot, but on the rare occasion she could not shake them off, Santana would stand her ground and slaughter every single guard who came after her, sword in hand which made her more feared and more notorious. But despite this, she would never end the life of an innocent, it was her duty to protect the citizens from the corrupt.

She was still making her way across the city unseen, her master and father Miguel Lopez had given her the task of assassinating John Pierce's niece. John Pierce was a mason, who apparently had one of his workers' daughters killed for stealing from his house.

Last year Pierce had actually given the assassins a map of all the underground tunnels of the city, making missions much more easy, and making him a friend of the guild. But spy's reports had been coming in telling of sightings of the man going into the castle's gates. He had been contracted by the king to build new defences around the castle to make it more impenetrable by assassins.

Miguel Lopez was furious by this news. He took the rumoured death of the young girl as an opportunity to send Pierce a message that he would not tolerate betrayal. However what he told his daughter was that the man could not harm their people, so he had decided on a life for a life. He said he wanted John Pierce to feel the pain that the family of the dead girl were feeling.

"You are going to kill Brittany Pierce, his niece". Master Lopez told his daughter. "he will not retaliate, however if he is stupid enough to do so we will kill each family member one by one in front of him before slitting his own stomach" Miguel chuckled darkly.

Santana did not like the look in her father's eyes as he said this, lately he had become more sinister, more rash and she had to admit more blood thirsty. She also felt that this act went against their creed of not killing innocents, but the girl knew not to argue with him, he was her master and knew what was best to do.

When Santana came into view of to the Pierces residence she crouched behind a chimney and looked down, she could spot two guards talking quietly amongst themselves outside the entrance of the building. Santana fixed her hood, her father had told her these were the only guards she need worry about. Santana flicked her wrists bringing down a blade for both of her palms.

When she was sure the guards were completely distracted, she leapt from her hiding spot and dived directly onto the men, driving the blades deep into their necks, cutting their vocal chords and spraying blood into the air, which the Lopez girl deftly avoided. She flicked her wrists again expertly and the blades vanished back up the sleeves of her cloak.

She then searched the corpses until she found a key. Heaving the two bodies over her shoulders with unnatural strength she jogged to the nearest torrent and dumped the guards into it smiling as they sank to the depths below.

Santana returned to the house and opened the door with a soft click (the first noise the girl made that night) and crept into the Pierce's home, quietly closing the door behind her and pocketing the key. Although she was in darkness, Santana could see that the house was impressive, filled with exotic ornaments and paintings that must have cost a fortune to posses.

But she was not her to admire pretty things, she had a mission to complete, she soundlessly walked up the marble staircase.

She was unsure which room held Brittany so she checked each one individually. The first was a exquisite bathroom with a giant bath that looked big enough to fit five people in. Santana couldn't help but scowl, _that's so unnecessary. _

The second held a slumbering couple which she assumed was John Pierce and his wife, but just to be certain she crept over to the bed and checked, and sure enough she was faced with two faces relaxed in sleep with a few wrinkles on their faces that slumber couldn't erase . It was the husband and wife, Santana moved on in her search.

After a few more wrong doors, Santana finally opened the one which contained her target. After all the other rooms she was in, the girl was surprised at how simple and ordinary this one was, with only a bed and a desk with a chair decorating the space. At first she had thought she had stepped into a servants sleeping quarters but of course they were downstairs.

She then caught the scent of lilies and spotted them in a vase on the desk. She looked to the bed and saw a glimmer of hair, made silver in the moonlight that cascaded onto the covers. There she was, asleep and unknowing the fate that was going to meet her in a matter of moments, Santana shivered with anticipation.

The brunette silently stepped towards the window opening it slightly so she could make her getaway quickly after killing the girl. She took a deep breath to prepare herself into the killer she had to be and turned towards the bed whilst taking out a dagger that had been concealed inside her cloak.

She stopped abruptly in her tracks, the air knocked out of her. The girl was _beautiful._ She had never in all of her eighteen years on this earth seen something as precious as the slumbering blonde in front of her. Santana stared at the way Brittany's face was moulded into one of pure calm, her lips crafted into a slight smile. She watched the way her shape moved slightly as she inhaled and exhaled deeply.

Santana looked to the dagger she was wielding and shook herself, her father and **master **had given her an order, one that she could not disobey, she _**must **_kill the girl. She took another step towards the girl, and another until she was hovering above her. Shaking slightly, she raised the dagger high.

A sudden breeze materialised opening the window fully with a clatter, _shit! _Santana looked at the girl.

Brittany stirred and opened her eyes. Santana could feel her heart smash into a million tiny pieces only to be rebuilt once again into something much more stronger. She exhaled the breath she did not realize she was holding. Brittany's eyes were unfocused, a cloudy ocean.

Santana knew right at that moment that she was not going to kill the girl, even though she knew the wrath that awaited her when she returned to the guild. Those blue eyes had drowned her , dragging her right into Brittany's very soul where she was sure there was no escape.

A look of confusion passed the blonde's face, her eyes slightly focusing more onto her own making Santana feel as if she was constricted with no way out. Santana coiled around breaking their eye contact and fled out the window, like a cat, scaled the wall and ran hard with her heart thumping against her ribcage not caring that she was making noise, she had to get away from that house, from that room, from _her. _For the first time in the Santana's life she had felt fear.

**Note: What did you guys think? :) Please Review, i'd like to hear what people think good and bad! I' try and get chapter two done soon! Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much for the kind reviews! I was bored so here is chapter two! **

Brittany lifted herself off the pillows and into a sitting position on her bed. _What on earth was that? _she looked to her right at the window which was now banging against the wall. Everything was illuminated by moonlight giving the room an unnatural glow, causing shadows to creep and sway on the ceiling. Brittany felt herself shudder.

She could not shake the image of the two chocolate brown eyes gleaming right in front of her moments before, She couldn't remember exactly what she had been dreaming of but nonetheless those eyes stayed with her. She had never been a believer of the supernatural, but those orbs were definitely not of this world. She had seen so much emotion flicker in them, determination, awe, sadness, _**fear**__. Whatever could they mean? _

Her aunt used to tell her that God would send messages to people as they slept, to warn them of bad things to come, Brittany would just shake her head and laugh at her aunt but now as the ghostly eyes hovered in her mind she was beginning to believe her relative, those eyes were like wildfire ready to consume her.

But the strangest thing of all was how Brittany had felt herself being drawn towards them as if they were candle light and she a moth. It was almost as if she was lost, not quite knowing where to go and they were her guide home. Yes there was definitely something about them that made Brittany not quite willing to forget them yet.

The blonde girl sat down at her desk, lit a candle and pulled out a piece of parchment from her drawer. She inhaled the rich scent of the lilies that she would always replenish and then began to sketch what she had just seen in her minds eye. Brittany had always loved art and insisted on going to galleries whenever she could.

Her uncle boasted at how well Brittany could draw and -even though Brittany protested strongly- would hold a few private showings of her paintings to guests. As much as Brittany loved her uncle she couldn't help but feel that sometimes she was one of the prized possessions that he kept in the house and loved to show off to anyone he could.

Brittany etched and drew until the candle wick had melted down to nothingness and dawn's first rays began to filter through the window panes. Once she had started she could not bring herself to stop, it was if some spirit or demon had taken over her.

She held up the drawing to exam her work and was disappointed. Even though she had worked through the night, the eyes she had drawn were nowhere near as mystical and beautiful as the ones she had dreamed of hours previously. Sure they were well drawn, despite her modesty Brittany could see that, but they lacked the raw fire that those orbs contained.

She arched back and yawned, tiredness suddenly coming over her. She dragged herself to bed and drew up the covers around her, Sleep came almost immediately to the girl and so too did dreams of chocolate fire melting her heart.

Santana slowly made her way up the flight of cold stone stairs, up to her father's study where she knew he would be mulling over maps of Rome and deciding which part of the corrupt city needed to be tackled next. If she could have walked sluggishly she would have but after years of training all she could produce was grace.

When she reached the door she hesitated, going over in her head what she would say,. She took a collected breath and knocked on the door.

"Come in" came a gruff voice. Santana entered and was immediately met by dagger point, the tip at her throat. She ducked reflexively and rolled out of the way, sweeping her leg out to trip the attacker. She brought out her hidden blade and stood up looking down on the assailant who was face down and grunting in pain.

She could then hear her father's booming laugh and looked up, Miguel Lopez was clapping his hands and guffawing heartily. "Some bodyguard you would make Finn, and you honestly think I'm going to promote you from weapon polisher to actually going out on a mission?" he slapped his knee. "Now get out of here, before I decide to put you out of misery and have you killed".

Finn got up and dusted himself down giving Santana a death glare, as quick as a panther Santana reached back and threw a knife at Finn, scratching his cheek before hitting the side of one of the many bookcases. It rocked back and forth with a thrumming noise. Finn yelped and this only made Miguel laugh even harder. "You should know better than to mess with her Hudson, she is a Lopez after all".

Clutching his cheek to staunch the blood flow Finn scurried out of the room, but before he closed the door the brunette could hear him mutter "_**Bitch!**_, she's going to pay for that" and she couldn't help but smirk. Her attention was then directed at her father as he clapped his hands together.

"Now Santana, my beautiful daughter, come sit down! I want to hear of your successful mission!" he winked at her.

Santana felt a lump in her throat as she sat down on one of the loungers. Any mirth the run in with Finn gave her quickly evaporated. She was now going to have to lie to her father, master of the guild something that she would never have dreamed of doing but only because she had never not killed a target given to her before. She could not believe she was risking her position in the guild for the sake of a girl, but as she thought this those magnificent blue eyes flashed before her and the scent of lilies was suddenly in the air.

"Fa-Master it grieves me to tell you but the Pierce girl was not there, I searched the entire household and she was no where to be found" Santana looked directly at her father, she could not break eye contact otherwise he would suspect her.

"What?" her father looked bewildered, "of course she was there! Puck and Quinn went out to gather intelligence, the whole family bar that son of Pierce's was there!" Miguel's face was becoming twisted as his anger flared.

"So do you mean to tell me that two of my best spies were mistaken?" he continued "that the blonde girl that they spotted was just a figment of their imaginations?"

"No Master" Santana uttered "but as I said she was not there, she may have gone out to visit someone?" she suggested her voice steady, almost arrogant despite the weak effort of an excuse.

The guild master was suddenly in her face and Santana felt a sharp sting across her cheek, "you stupid child!" he yelled, "don't you see what this means? If we cannot keep track of one simple girl how are we supposed to free this city from the corrupt bastards that over run this place?"

Santana suddenly felt relief wash through her, she nearly laughed. So her father did believe her. However she did not think he would have taken her failed mission as a sign of weakness in the guild itself. She almost felt ashamed, almost.

"I'm sorry father, i did not mean to disappoint you" she murmured feigning hurt.

"My poor daughter" Miguel's voice suddenly going soft as he enveloped her into a hug "do not apologize, infact I am glad that this has happened, it has shown me that this guild has become complacent. We must become better, more powerful!" he cried. He kissed his daughter's forehead, a plan forming in his head, he smiled, "In the meantime I want your own tracking skills to be tested, follow this elusive Brittany girl, everywhere she goes you must go, you will be her walking shadow"

"Does this mean you do not want me to kill her now?" Santana asked in an offhand manner with a hint of disappointment, successfully concealing the happiness bubbling inside her.

Her father laughed at his daughter's pout, "no little one, first we find out where she makes her late night calls maybe you might find out something that can be of use to us, I do believe something damaging to the Pierce name would be far more beneficial to us than a dead girl" he chuckled.

Santana was at first a little confused, her father never went back on an order, he always said it was weak for a leader to do so, did he have secret motives? But she was willing to brush it aside because he was her master and did what was best for the assassins and for the people of Rome.

Plus this meant she got to observe Brittany, she was extremely curious about the girl. No one had ever made her feel the strange way she did and if Santana was honest it terrified her. But she knew one thing was certain: she desperately wanted get lost into those deep blue oceans once more.

**Note: What did you guys think? Should Santana worry about Finn? If you can please review :) thanks for reading! **

**P.S if anyone like to follow me on tumblr my url is royalty-without-a-crown **


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks a million for all the brilliant feedback guys! Here is chapter 3 :)**

Brittany woke at her usual time, despite spending most of the night sketching her vision of the brown eyes which were still burned into her memory. The girl was sure she could remember more detail from those two orbs than of the house she had lived in all her life . If someone were to ask her how many doors were in the building she would have to pause and think, but if quizzed on how many specks of black there were in those eyes she would immediately answer four in the right, and two in the left. _How curious_ Brittany mused to herself _and all from just a few seconds. _

She felt strangely energised as though lightning was sizzling through her veins. She jumped out of bed and stretched brushing her long hair through her fingers. She then changed out of her night dress and into a deep yellow tunic, which was reflecting her good mood and was glad that the material was cool in the warm air.

She made her way down the marble stairs and into the dining room where she was greeted by her aunt and uncle. "Good morning darling! you do look a picture doesn't she John?" Catherine Pierce smiled at her niece.

"She does indeed, there is not a girl as pretty as our Brittany in the whole of Rome!" her uncle declared, "and where are you off to today my dear?" he asked with a smile.

"I fancy going to the gallery today uncle, I have not been in a while and-"

"I should have known" her uncle interrupted waving a hand "off with you! and don't go running off with any artists!" he chuckled.

Brittany smiled and blushed slightly, in truth there had been many advances made to her by artists with promises of riches and endless parties once they became famous painters. But Brittany would just laugh and politely decline, she did not care for those kinds of things and of course if every artist became a success, then there would be no wall space left in the whole of the city.

Brittany bid her relatives a good day and made her way towards the front door. On her way she spotted her cousin Artie who was slowly making his way down the staircase rubbing his eyes and shaking his head.

"Good night cousin?" Brittany asked trying, and failing to keep a straight face. Artie was notorious in the city for being a constant party goer and if the rumours were true; womanizer.

"Mmmh" was all that Artie could manage, and Brittany laughed causing Artie to wince.

"Goodbye cousin" the blonde sang "I shall see you later at dinner!"

Before completely closing the door behind her, Brittany could hear her uncle roar "and what time did you come in last night? Just because someone invites you to a party doesn't mean you have to..." she turned around smiling, she glanced to her right and then her left before making her way down the narrow street murmuring hellos to neighbours and to merchants as she walked.

She met the occasional beggar sitting down, leaning against a wall pleading for money who she would crouch down in front of and give them a few small coins, a few of them would recognise her and make small chat who Brittany was only glad to engage in. She loved to talk to people and to find out all about the small things in their lives.

Eventually Brittany found her way to the end of the busy maze of lanes and stepped between two heavy stone pillars into the art gallery breathing in the familiar heavy scent of paint and perfume. She grinned widely.

True to her father's word, Santana was like Brittany's shadow. As soon as she spotted the blonde girl leaving her house, she slowly rose from her flat lying position on the roof a few hundred meters diagonally across from the building. One thing that she had that many of the assassins possessed and thought a god given gift, was the vision like that of an eagle. As soon as she spotted Brittany, Santana zeroed in on her target, except this time she was not going to be killing anybody.

Santana sneaked across the rooftops always watching. She needed to obtain as much as she could about this girl. Not just to report back to Master Lopez, but for her own sake. This girl had frozen her in her tracks just before she was about to kill, something that should have been impossible to do. The brunette had spent years of gruelling exercises to train her mind to stay focused and to not halt until her mission was complete, and for that to be shattered in one night truly made the girl nervous.

But she was so grateful that she had fled that night, to think that she had almost killed Brittany as she slept made Santana want to weep, although she was still not quite sure why. However one thing she was certain of was she never wanted to see the beautiful blonde come to any harm either by her hand or any other.

Santana smirked _guess that makes me some kind of guardian angel. _As much as that amused her, Santana knew there was some truth to it which terrified her. Was she seriously about to commit herself to protect a girl she didn't even know? She looked back down at the blonde slowly making her way down the street and found her answer.

She was puzzled by the Pierce girl's constant stopping and chatting to simple beggars, why would a girl of such high class bother with simple peasants? This girl was just fascinating, never before had Santana seen someone become so engrossed with such simple things like stands of vegetables and merchants selling tatty old pots. She always smiled at each and every thing in a gentle way that made Santana's breathing hitch. Was she seeing some form of beauty that was hidden to everyone else?

Santana just had to get closer, it was if it was an instinct. Although it went against the creed's detection rule of getting too close to your target, she quietly climbed down onto a balcony and then like a ghost swung down onto the ground immediately surrounding herself with the crowd, making sure her hood was positioned securely over her face out of habit. The last thing any assassin wanted was their identity to be revealed.

Santana could just about make out Brittany's golden waves as they flowed and rippled in the sunlight. The brunette had the sudden urge to stroke the girl's hair and to inhale the scent of it as it ran through her fingers.

Santana continued to push her way gently through the throng of people as they went about their business, inching closer and closer to Brittany. The want to touch the girl got stronger and more needy as Santana got closer to the girl, but she managed to ignore it although it took an enormous amount of effort.

After a few more twists and turns, Brittany had reached her destination, an art gallery, just one of the many that littered Rome. _She likes art _Santana was elated to find out this small detail about Brittany. It made her feel as though butterflies where fluttering in the pit of her stomach. Santana clutched it exhaling, she had never experienced that before.

As the blonde girl walked up the few steps, passed the pillars and into the stone building, Santana knew she could not follow, at least not like how she was dressed, she would raise too much suspicion with nowhere to hide.

Santana mused upon this for a few moments before smiling wickedly, which caused a few nervous glances from passer-bys. She melted back into the shadows.

**Note: Thanks for reading! Please review if you can I'd like to know what people thought of this chapter :) I've started chapter 4 already so hopefully it will go up tomorrow (not today because I'm going to see Katy Perry! aaah! haha) **


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks a million for the reviews! This is my first time writing a real fic so they mean a lot to me :) Katy Perry was amazing, I now want her lady babies so badly, but that's another story! I was asked for a longer chapter so here it is! :)**

Half an hour later

Santana checked her reflection in one of the shop windows. She brushed a loose lock that had fallen from her bun and fixed it securely behind her ear. She then adjusted her dress awkwardly, causing the neckline to be pulled down dangerously low. Santana however did not notice this as she touched her cheeks lightly.

It was the first time the girl had been out in public in ordinary clothes, her whole face totally exposed for anyone and everyone to see. The brunette felt vulnerable without the means to hide her identity.

She had nearly sprinted to one of the secret hideouts of the guild- an old store room that had been long forgotten- where she raided the wardrobe until she found the only woman's garment there, a long, sleeveless maroon dress with some yellow detail on the bust, which when she tried on enhanced her assets greatly. Never before had she really noticed her soft hips and the swell of her breasts.

There was always a source for everyday clothing for the assassins if they needed them but Santana had never the desire of them. She liked the way the heavy white tunic hid the signs of her gender, the way the hood covered all but her lips. She relished in the fact that she was a mystery to those who she pursued and to those who pursued her.

The idea had struck her to change as she looked at the entrance to the art gallery where Brittany had stepped through. She had desperately wanted to follow the girl inside but knew her attire would raise too much curiosity in the small space for her to go unnoticed. Artists were intrusive bastards and would have only badgered her with constant questions which would have made keeping to the rule of not killing innocents a hard one to keep.

But now as she pulled away from her reflection Santana was having doubts. What was she going to do once she went into the building? Was she going to approach the Brittany girl and actually strike up a conversation? She shook her head. _What could I possibly say to her which wouldn't make me look a fool? I know nothing about art. _

Her initial confidence in her plan was now failing her, but as she patted her thigh the brunette sighed. Being the assassin she was, Santana had attached a long dagger to her leg and the feel of it made her more secure. She hated how she had to leave the rest of her arsenal including her favoured hidden blades at the store room, but her dress did not allow many hiding places for the concealment of weaponry.

Santana then quickly but fluidly made her way back to the gallery. She found she had to walk in a completely different way now than how she could with her hooded "uniform". She could no longer stalk through the streets. She now had to have a lady like air to her, something that Santana found somewhat difficult to get used to.

She had men leering at her, another new experience and one that Santana did not like at all. She shot them death glares but soon stopped, that wasn't how a woman should act, so she simply averted her gaze and blushed with angry heat as she felt the stares grazing her back.

It took the Lopez girl less than ten minutes to make it back to the building which contained Brittany. Santana could feel herself quiver, why was she so damn nervous? But before her worries could get a sufficient hold on her, the brunette walked up the steps and into the gallery.

The place was packed full of people, there was a musky smell and a heavy scent of sweat and perfume that was trying to mask it which made Santana want to gag. But after a few minutes in the throng she accustomed herself to it, however the feeling that Brittany could be anywhere made Santana extremely nervous. She spotted small stone pillar and leaned against it watching the people in around her.

The gallery was not really a gallery at all, more of a market place for artists. Stalls were set up everywhere with painters screaming at potential customers to come look at their masterpieces. The noise of the place was beginning to give Santana a migraine. She rubbed her temples.

However after a few minutes of acclimatising to her situation and glancing at all the potential exits out of habit, Santana slowly began to feel more comfortable. She straightened out of her position and decided to look for Brittany.

No sooner had she decided this she saw a flash of blonde and yellow. It was her. Santana placed her palm on the pillar . This was the closest she had been to the Pierce girl. It made her feel weak.

She scolded herself mentally. _You are Santana Lopez, the best damn assassin Rome has ever had, you are daughter to Miguel Lopez master of the assassin's guild, people fear you! why should you be afraid of one simple girl when you have faced countless enemies with a smile on your face? _

Santana tracked the girl as she walked aimlessly around the building, stopping every so often to look at a painting. She seemed oblivious to the looks gentlemen around the room were giving her, but Santana noticed. The dagger on her thigh felt hot and heavy, itching to be taken out and to taste the blood of those sleazy men and she would have liked nothing better than to comply.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a man jumping in front of her, "Madonna! Madonna! Let me paint you!" he pleaded "you are exactly what I have been looking for my entire life! God has answered my prayers and has sent me _you_ as my muse!" He then glanced down at her breasts and grinned, "and my what an exquisite subject I have to divulge with my paintbrush!" he winked.

Santana was livid, here she was trying to remain unnoticed and this guy stands in her way, thinking he can draw attention to her like that? Plus he was blocking her view of Brittany. She leaned in close to the man, who inhaled deeply and put her lips to his ear. "Listen" she hissed "you are going to turn around and walk away now, otherwise you will no longer have the use of your pathetic excuse of a paintbrush, do you understand?" She smiled sweetly. If anyone had been watching their confrontation they would have guessed the girl was accepting his offer.

The man was about to reply but the look in Santana's face stopped him. That smile had the look of a lioness about to pounce and devour her prey. He turned around and moved swiftly away from the scene muttering to himself.

Santana too turned away huffing only to be met by two oceans crashing into her very core, she could feel herself sinking and drowning, a feeling the brunette was getting used to as her breathing stopped.

"Are you alright?" Brittany asked "I know those painters can be annoying at times, but you just have to ignore them, don't let them deter you from the wonderful artwork" she smiled her eyes still fixed on her own. Brittany's expression slowly began to change from one of consideration , to one of confusion.

"I'm sorry, but have we met before?" the blonde asked "I feel as if I know you from somewhere, your eyes look familiar..." she trailed off.

_Shit! She knows me! She did see me that night! and there was me thinking she was only waking up, Stupid! __**Stupid!**_

Santana tilted her head learning how to breathe again and smiled "No i don't think so, I think I would remember someone as pretty as you" _Did i really just say that? Shit! _

Brittany blushed slightly causing Santana's stomach to flip and said "well then sorry if I am mistaken" she paused "but seeing as we have come across each other now it would be a shame to waste this meeting, would you perhaps like to look at some works together?" she asked hopefully, a small pout forming on her lips, she grabbed an end of her gorgeous locks and began to play with it.

_How can I say no to that? _"o-of course" Santana stammered. _Why am I stuttering? Hold it together Lopez!_

"Great" Brittany breathed dropping the golden curl, Santana thought she could spot a hint of relief on the girl's features, "I'm Brittany by the way" she extended her hand, "Santana" the brunette blurted out before she could stop herself, the need to touch the girl overpowering her normally collected mind. She pressed her palm into Brittany's and felt a blazing fire travelling up her entire arm. Even when she let go Santana could feel a tingle in her hand where Brittany had touched. _It was only my first name _she whined pathetically in her mind.

The first few minutes between them were slightly awkward for Santana but as she saw how non fussed Brittany was she began to ease into it. She decided to find out some more about the girl.

"So what brings you here?" Santana asked. Brittany looked at her quizzically before answering "to look at art of course!" she laughed musically, Santana could not even form reply as she was too embarrassed by her idiotic question and blown away by Brittany's laugh, there was no hint of mockery in it just pure mirth which made Santana's heart jolt and jitter uncontrollably.

_This girl makes me more flustered than being surrounded by an army of guards, why is this happening to me?_

While Santana regained her composure, Brittany then launched into her life story, where she lived and who with, all things Santana knew already but of course she couldn't tell Brittany that. Besides this was the first time Santana had heard Brittany talk and she took pleasure in the fact that she was addressing her and the way the girl said her name made her shiver.

"So Santana what about you?" Brittany asked "tell me about yourself!"

_This is definitely going too far, I shouldn't even be talking to the girl! _

"I live in a house with my papa, he's a...map maker, he makes maps" _fucking_ _smooth. _

"I guessed a much" Brittany chuckled brushing against Santana's arm playfully, Santana's whole body hummed with the contact, she pressed her lips together to stop her from making any noise.

They continued to circle the room, Brittany commenting on a few paintings and Santana would only grunt in agreement, she couldn't see half the things Brittany saw in those paintings and it made her soul ache even more for the girl.

She couldn't help but steal glances at the blonde and marvel at her perfect beauty. Santana would wonder if she was real or was she in fact dreaming but then Brittany would glance at her too and their eyes would lock momentarily, making Santana feel more alive than when she was being chased, adrenaline pumping in her system.

But all too soon it was over. It had become dark outside and people began to mill out of the gallery. When they stepped outside Brittany told Santana that she would be returning tomorrow if they would like to meet up once again, "I had fun" she grinned.

Before Santana could stop herself she told her she would like it very much. Brittany's cheeks reddened, making Santana want to cup her cheeks and circle them with her thumbs, her fingers twitched. They agreed on a time and bid farewell to each other.

Santana waited until Brittany was out of sight before making her way back to the hideout to change. _I am in so deep right now, I must have broken about twenty rules _Santana mused _I may as well make the most of it. _

When Santana reached the storeroom she changed back into her tunic, relief washing through her as she put up her hood and ensured her blades were secure around her wrists.

Santana was buzzing with excitement, she could not wait until the next day when she could actually converse with this girl and not have to stay in the shadows and watch from a distance. She sighed.

Now it was time to come back down from her high and into reality. She had to do her job and to watch Brittany's house for her father. He was determined to find out something about the family to put John Pierce to shame (she still had to find out why) but after meeting Brittany, Santana was sure there wasn't a more sweeter and genuine person in the whole of Italy.

Little did Santana know as she climbed up onto the rooftop of her stake out position that the girl in the house she was watching felt the exact same way about her.

**Note: Thanks for reading! and as always please review if you can I always take on board what people say :) I'm really falling behind on my coursework at the moment so please don't hate me if I don't update for a day or two :S **


	5. Chapter 5

**I can't believe the amount of alerts I have been getting over the past few days! It means a lot! Here is chapter four, hope you guys enjoy :)**

Brittany lit a candle in her dark room, but with the way she was feeling she was surprised that the space around her wasn't already glowing. She was sure a mini sun was radiating in the pit of her stomach. The girl had had a wonderful time with Santana and could not wait until the next day when she could meet her again and find out more about her life.

She chuckled thinking back to their meeting, the brunette had seemed so flustered! Every so often she would spot Santana grazing her lower lip with her teeth and it made her smile warmly internally, she had the most gorgeous lips, and the way her hair had been tied up revealing her neck made Brittany shiver. The girl also couldn't help but notice Santana's low neckline and how it dipped revealing a hint of her breasts.

Brittany blushed, she wasn't a leering old man! But she had to admit the girl was alluring. She had an air of mystery to her by the way she walked, and the way she looked at everything and everyone with scrutiny made the blonde think that Santana was on the look out for something. And those eyes, she had been so drawn towards Santana's eyes in a way like how an alcoholic would be drawn to a tavern. She had drunk them in and had become intoxicated by them.

Brittany was so pleased that she had chanced upon the girl, but at the same time the Pierce girl couldn't shake the feeling that she knew the brunette from somewhere before. She shook her head, she was being ridiculous. Santana herself had said they hadn't met before, _"I would remember someone as pretty as you" _Santana whispered in her mind. When Brittany had heard that in the gallery she could have sworn the room could hear her heartbeat banging out an erratic rhythm. _There she was looking like a goddess and she thought I was pretty? She must have only been polite. _

Brittany changed out of her tunic and into a soft nightdress, sighing with content when the material brushed against her skin. She went over to her table to blow out the flame when she stopped abruptly. There in front of her etched in pencil were Santana's eyes, the ones she obsessed over. But they were also _her_ eyes, the ones that she had dreamed about the night before.

"But that's impossible" she breathed. Brittany closed her eyes remembering and comparing the vision she had seen with the deep brown orbs belonging to Santana and she blew the air out of her lungs in shock. As much as she couldn't consider it, there was no denying the fact they were a perfect match, right down to the flecks of black that speckled those ideal eyes. Also the raw fieriness that Brittany was unable to convey through her own picture was reflected perfectly in Santana's eyes as she had looked into her own.

Brittany exhaled in wonder. _Well maybe my aunt was right and God has sent me some sign ,but surely it can't be one of danger! Santana seems so gentle, harmless... and small _she chuckled getting into her bed and snuggling under the covers waiting for sleep while hoping for dreams of those melting chocolate eyes but now with the dark girls face around them.

**XXX**

Santana was in the yard practising with her long sword. She ducked and weaved as she slashed at the wooden dummies that littered the area, chips of wood flying in all directions. The moon was still high in the sky and torches surrounded the training enclosure, causing her shadow to flicker and shake as she lunged at her "opponents".

After spending the first hour of her stake out watching Brittany's bedroom window as it was illuminated by flame, trying to catch glimpses of the girl and sighing when the pane was enveloped in darkness, the brunette then spent a few more hours watching the Pierce household before she decided she had spent enough time to report back to her father.

She was truly nervous, her palms beading with sweat. Had anyone from the guild seen her at the gallery and recognised her? Not possible because there was no business had by any of them there but the brunette couldn't help but feel edgy about someone watching her. She was an assassin, one of the reasons she was still alive was down to paranoia.

As well as that, would the master suspect her of trying to hide something from him? Ok so there was no information to conceal, the only real thing Santana had found out about Brittany was the fact she liked art. but would he notice a change in her tone when she talked about her, or a look in her eyes that suggested she had other thoughts involving Brittany besides just tracking her?

But when she arrived back to the guild, her fears thankfully did not become true when she told Master Lopez of her day's work, as her father had only waved her away saying "Santana you know you do not have to report to me every time you return from a watch, just let me know when you find out something!" he then chuckled "I suppose that's what makes you my best assassin, you don't leave out any detail. I am impressed that you managed to stick with the girl for the whole day, I hadn't expected you to track that well. Keep it up and Puck and Quinn should be afraid for their positions!"

Santana laughed and answered arrogantly "Master as much as I am confident that I could surpass the two of them in their job, you and I both know I am much better at assassinating someone than simply watching them" she then gave him a dark look filled with malice and lifted her upper lip giving her best snarl. She then laughed again, but this time it sounded a little off in the girl's ears. _I shall always be known as a heartless and ruthless killer._

Miguel Lopez nodded grinning "but that doesn't mean you should give this task any slack little one, you can learn a lot from doing this to further better your...forte" he winked " plus I need to find out as much as I can about this Brittany girl" _I cannot believe the reports of the killing of the servant girl by Pierce were wrong, dammit Mike! now I have nothing solid to go on to get John back for helping the king _Miguel fumed but then smiled wickedly _but Mike won't be giving me any false information anymore, nor will anyone else know of this slip up since I had his tongue cut out after he told me of his mistake. Plus if I discover something incriminating or unchristian about this girl I can then send Pierce a message that he cannot mess with me, creed be damned!_

Santana further wondered at her father's obsession with the Pierce family and thought that maybe it was time to find out for herself exactly why. But she agreed with her father heartily but careful not to sound too eager on finding out more about the Brittany girl. _But I fear I'm not doing it for the same reasons you are, father_.

Santana thought about Brittany as she hacked and danced around the pretend foes. She was beginning to think she was becoming obsessed with the blonde girl with the piercing blue eyes. _If my father had not ordered me to follow Brittany, I would have probably done so myself like a stalker. _

Santana replayed their meeting over and over in her mind, pausing and restarting when she thought at how Brittany had brushed against her arm and how she had shook her hand causing a current to course through her.

She also had an ever present image in the corner of her mind of Brittany's eyes, however she was careful not to focus on them, constantly brushing them aside, otherwise she would be pulled into their depths causing her to lose all focus. Even though the abysses that swirled and snaked in her head were not the real thing, Santana was sure the effects they would have on her if she focused into them would be devastating. _Why do you make me feel this way Brittany?_

As she pondered upon the girl further, she straightened up preparing for another onslaught. She crouched getting ready to spring again when she felt a presence, a feather of movement behind her.

Without even thinking, Santana pushed her feet hard against the ground launching herself into the air, she arched over her assailant and flipped landing neatly behind them. She then thrust the end of her hilt into the person's back causing them to kneel sharply in pain.

After being confident that she no longer was in danger, Santana looked at her attacker and laughed loudly. She recognized the mess of black hair instantly, it was Finn. He was holding a sword of his own in his hand as he knelt in the ground before her, head down.

She walked around to face him and couldn't help but wince inside, the cut on his cheek looked bad, cracked and oozing, It was surely going to leave a scar, but she was not going to apologize, she was Santana Lopez and he deserved it. Finn looked up when he saw the girl's shoes and glared.

Santana opened her mouth to ask what the hell he thought he was doing, that she could have killed him when she was distracted by the whoops and laughs that suddenly erupted around her, it seemed that Finn had brought a crowd of spectators along with him. This puzzled the brunette for a moment when realization hit her, _"__**Bitch!**__, she's going to pay for that" _echoed in her mind.

The Lopez girl looked back at Finn and smirked, "_this _was your great plan of revenge? Try and catch me unawares and embarrass me in front of the other assassins?" She spat on the ground "you're pathetic".

Finn continued to glower at her, his eyes watering from the impact of her sword. She bent down and took the weapon he held out of his hand "steal it did you?" she asked "just because you polish them, doesn't mean you can wield a blade, that right belongs to me, a _**real**_ assassin".

She then turned and walked away from the scene not taking a backwards glance at the cheering group or at the boy who was still seething on the earth where she had knocked him down.

**Thanks a million for reading, and if you can let me know what you think :) **


	6. Chapter 6

**Here is chapter 6 :) sorry it's short but it's going to get good from here!**

Brittany awoke to the sound of raised voices coming from downstairs, she quickly got out of bed and put a shawl around her for some modesty. She then tip toed out of her bedroom and onto the landing.

She edged towards the staircase and leaned against the cool wall, she could just about make out what was being discussed. "Idiot!" John Pierce shouted "the king himself gave me those men to protect this house and you mean to tell me they are MISSING?"

Brittany could hear an unfamiliar mumble before her uncle roared, "YOU THINK THEY JUST GOT BORED AND LEFT? they are the KING'S men! you and I both know they would get killed if they abandoned their place!"

It dawned on Brittany that the two sentries who had recently came to watch outside her house must be gone. When the guards had first arrived Brittany was curious as to why they were there but just dismissed it, her uncle must have just wanted a little more security.

But now she was concerned about her uncle's desperate tone when he discovered that they had disappeared. Why had the king given them guards in the first place? She knew that John had started working with the royal with some construction work but never thought it important enough to ask exactly what.

"This can only mean one thing" Pierce said a lot quieter now, Brittany had to strain to make out what he was saying, "they were killed. There was an attack on my house the other night, by those bloody assassins, probably to try and steal my plans, or worse have me killed".

_**Assassins**_? Brittany was shocked, what would they want with her uncle? The absence of the guards suddenly made her more uneasy, did they need protection? Below was now was eerily silent (her uncle and whoever he had been talking to must have went outside) allowing Brittany's imagination to run wild as she thought of blades in the darkness slashing at her while she slept.

"Hey" a familiar voice said, air hitting her cheek, Brittany jumped as she was so absorbed in her own thoughts.

"Cousin!" she breathed, "don't scare me like that, it's not nice" she glared at Artie as he faced her with a grin on his face.

Artie winked at her then said "so you heard about the guards then?" Brittany nodded, "what is Uncle doing for the king?" she asked.

Artie leaned closer to her and murmured in her ear, aware that the servants could be anywhere "he didn't tell me personally but word gets around. I was at a party the other night when one of the hosts came over and congratulated me on climbing the social ladder. Of course I did not know what the chap was on about so he explained to me how father had been taken on by the king to make the city's castle less impenetrable by enemies. That must be why we had guards because if I was an assassin I would be pretty pissed with father right now" he chuckled.

Brittany looked at him with a puzzled look on her face, "are you not worried that he could be in danger?" she asked quietly. " not really" he shrugged " he's a grown man, he made a decision so he has to deal with the consequences"

Brittany could not believe how non fussed her cousin was. "Besides" he continued raising his voice to a more conversational one "this just means more party invites and pretty ladies to hang onto my arm" he laughed.

"which reminds me..." he rooted in the pocket of his trousers before pulling out two silver metal coins and handing them to Brittany, "these are to get into the masked ball the night after next, it's going to be the party of the year and your cousin here just so happened to get extra invites" his eyes shined mischievously "so bring a friend, maybe an artist?" Brittany smacked his arm rolling her eyes. Arite laughed before moving off the wall "see you cousin!" he waved.

Brittany wondered at Artie's words, so her uncle was doing a dangerous job. She just hoped he knew what he was doing, she did not want anything to happen to the man who took her in when her parents had died of fever years ago. Brittany shook that from her mind, she did not want to dwell on the past any longer than she had to.

Instead the blonde girl looked at the coins more closely. They were intricately designed with loops and swirls with a typical ballroom mask was in the centre. Brittany smiled, she had never been to a real party, she had only once been to an artist's get-together which she had begged Artie to take her with him.

She had felt so uncomfortable there despite the lovely art works on display. Every few minutes she would be approached by a sweaty and drunk men, asking for a dance or begging for a kiss and more. She hated feeling their bodies press against her as they tried to get possession of her. In the end she told Artie she was not feeling well and her cousin had brought her home.

But this event would be different. It wouldn't be a sleazy thrown together party. This ball was going to be the social event of the year with masked men and women dancing the night away. Brittany loved to dance just as much as she loved art. When she heard a beat she could not help but move, it was if the rhythm was coursing through her very veins keeping her heart thumping.

_But who will I ask? _A flash of chocolate brown melted into her mind, immediately answering her question for her. _Santana. _As soon as the name flashed in her head she started to buzz with excitement as she thought of being with the brunette girl in the grand ballroom. _I'll ask her today and just hope that she says yes! _

Brittany then went to her room, humming a tune as she thought about dresses and Santana in them, completely forgetting about the worry she had had only moments before.

**XXXXXX**

Santana wrung her hands together nervously. Here she was again outside the art gallery in normal clothes. Except this time she was not stalking or chasing anybody, she was waiting for Brittany to arrive. It felt strange to wait for somebody with a different kind of anticipation other than the "I'm about to kill this person" kind that she got so often while she waited for a target so she could dispose of them in the most inconspicuous way possible.

She was nervous as to how Brittany would regard her when she saw her. She had made such a fool of herself the first time they had conversed and just hoped to God that this would be her chance to redeem herself.

She had taken time with her outfit this time, she visited a few of the hideouts before she made her decision on an emerald green dress that had small brown leaves adorning the bust and sides with the sleeves trailing down to her hands, allowing her to conceal her blades.

Having the blades secure on her wrists made her feel more confident maybe even a little arrogant, besides she needed to be able to protect Brittany as best as possible. Every so often she would flick her wrists to bring the blades out before quickly bringing them in again out of habit. No one would be able to see what she was doing, unless they too were assassins. She loved to hear them slide out of their guard and snap back, it made her feel more powerful.

After a few more minutes of anxious waiting, the brunette spotted Brittany who was still a far way off, her trained eyes zeroed in on the girl as she walked down the street. She could feel her heartbeat fluttering against her chest as she smiled a little breathlessly to herself.

She watched how the sunlight made Brittany's hair shimmer and shine, giving the girl an angelic quality that not even all the artists of Italy could recreate on a canvas. She did not think she would ever tire of watching the girl, but as Brittany neared the gallery she spotted the Lopez girl and hurried over to her with a wide smile.

"You came!" Brittany exclaimed, Santana could not help but notice how the blonde's eyes had glanced downwards to her bust before coming to meet her dead on in the eyes. Santana grinned widely meeting Brittany's gaze. Her blue orbs had a less devastating effect on the girl now, instead they gave her a more familiar homely feeling, as though she was floating in the middle of the ocean instead of drowning in it.

"Of course I did" Santana said and boldly held out her arm, her confidence growing now that she was more in control, "I was thinking, it's such a nice day out, why don't we go for a little walk instead of being cooped up in that stuffy old gallery?".

The truth was Santana did not want to spend the day looking at dull artwork, besides she hated how those artists leered after Brittany. The memory of their lurking forms made her wrists twitch, the straps of her blades feeling hot against her skin. She shook off the beginnings of a red haze that would descend upon her on the rare occasion when she lost her cool, she did not want to become angry, not in front of Brittany who was so sweet and innocent.

Brittany giggled and took Santana's arm, the brunette saw a hint of red creep into the girl's cheeks and chuckled at how cute she looked. "Lead the way Santana" Brittany said patting Santana's arm causing a current to run through her making her giddy as they set off down the street towards the canal.

**Thanks for reading and hoped that cleared up any confusion people had about the guards being gone unnoticed :) I'll update ASAP!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I have been so busy! But I have some time on my hands now so here is the next chapter! I finished the latest AC game and I have to be honest and say I was disappointed :( oh well! **

Santana and Brittany walked along the canal, arm in arm. They chatted about simple things like the hot weather and the artwork that they had looked at yesterday. Santana admitted to the blonde girl that she did not have a great deal of interest in art which baffled Brittany to no end, why was she in the gallery in the first place? She did not voice her question however because she thought Santana might take offence by her prying. And she did not want to make Santana not like her, not when they were having such a nice time.

Brittany was distracted by a quacking sound, "oooh! San look!" Brittany squealed dragging the darker girl closer to the water to show her what had excited her. A family of ducks were swimming on the water's surface. Brittany's face lit up as she watched the birds go about their business, leaning over the small wall to get a closer look at them.

Santana stood and watched Brittany overcome with feelings, she felt strange. Brittany had just called her _San_. Santana had never been called anything affectionate apart from when her father called her "little one". She smiled, she liked the name.

Brittany glanced back at Santana with a smile on her lips as the sunlight made her eyes shine. The brunette's heart lurched in her chest.

After a few minutes of watching the ducks, Brittany took Santana's arm again slightly snuggling into her. Santana jerked slightly in surprise and prayed that the blonde didn't notice her reaction.

"Sorry" Brittany mumbled, and straightened herself out breaking their link. Santana could detect a hint of disappointment in the blonde's voice, "I just get really excited when I see ducks, they are my most favourite animal in the world" she looked back to Santana and smiled apologetically.

_Shit_ Santana thought _She thinks I'm pissed at her, she only caught me by surprise, if it was anyone else I would have punched them already out of impulse. _In fact she had nearly flicked out her blades, but thankfully she stopped herself. _Damn these assassin instincts _Santana cursed internally, _now how to make this right so she won't be offended?_

"For what?" she smirked boldly taking Brittany's arm again, the blonde looked down at their linked arms and grinned widely. Santana's world seemed to slow down while inside she was dancing, leaping, flying all at the same time. The assassin thought she might burst.

Although Santana was a bundle of nerves around the girl because she hated the thought of making a fool of herself, she felt strangely at ease plus despite being out in the open was terrifying it was exhilarating at the same time.

She was able to fully appreciate things she never could before when she was in the shadows. Like watching people buy things from merchants, it fascinated her to see what people were interested in and the interaction between the sellers and buyers. She enjoyed the banter had between them as they tried to agree a price.

It made a nice change from tracking a corrupt merchant and slitting his throat.

The Pierce girl brought her back to the present. "I like your dress by the way". She fingered the material along Santana's arm, "where did you get it?"

Santana was too distracted by the blonde's fingers trailing along her arm, so close to her skin to answer her question. The brunette swallowed and concentrated on slowing down her breathing with a technique she had learned. Although it was to be used to conserve energy when fighting enemies, not from a girl's touch. _What would it be like to hold her, to embrace her..._

"San? Earth to Santana" Brittany chuckled bringing the brunette crashing back to earth, "What? Sorry, i was uh...distracted" Santana flushed.

"I could tell" Brittany said patting her arm and putting her own back to her side, "I said where did you get your dress?"

"Ah, my dress, it was eh.. _crap! .._a gift" Santana shrugged hoping not to go into the matter further, as if she was going to tell her she got it from a wardrobe in an assassin's hideout.

_Probably from a boy _Brittany thought sadly, _she most have some sort of suitor, she is so beautiful_.

They spent the rest of the day by the canal seated on one of the many stone benches watching the world go by and commenting on various people. As the sun began to set, Santana walked Brittany to her house, despite the blonde's protests, the assassin wanting to ensure she got back home safely. Brittany could not help but be flattered by her chivalry.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Brittany exclaimed reaching inside her pocket and pulling out a coin of silver and placing it in Santana's hand. The brunette examined the coin closely a look of confusion on her face.

Brittany giggled and before she could stop herself she reached out and touched the crease between Santana's eyebrows, causing them to shoot upwards as Santana looked into her eyes.

"Don't frown San" Brittany breathed, "it's just an invite to this party, it's on the night after tomorrow, sorry for the short notice but my cousin only gave me them today and it's fine if you don't want to-"

"I'd love to go" Santana smiled.

"Oh" Brittany let out in a huff and smiled the widest she thought she ever could, "Brilliant! Ok so you need a mask, because it's a masquerade ball" she tapped the coin still in Santana's palm, "and I was thinking we could meet at the gallery again and we could go together from there, I'll get my uncle to organise a carriage for us?"

"I have a much better idea" Santana smirked, "how about I meet you there?"

Brittany looked at the darker girl with a puzzled expression, "But how will you know what I look like? We have to wear masks"

"Don't you worry Britt, I'll find you" Santana winked, "and anyway it will add to the theme of mystery, that way it will be more fun".

"Britt?" the blonde girl repeated a smile playing on her lips

"Yeah, well you called me San, so you need a name too, that is if you want one" Santana looked down at her feet, her cheeks taking on a red hue. Brittany giggled and took the assassin's hand giving it a pat before letting it fall back to its owner's side.

"I like it, Britt" she said again tasting it, she liked the name a lot but that had a whole lot to do with the girl who said it.

Santana looked up from the ground and beamed, and the blonde girl found her breath literally stolen away from her lungs. _She is so beautiful_. Brittany had the urge to reach out and cup the brunette's face in her hands, to touch her dimples as they framed her full lips. But of course she didn't, what would Santana have thought? _she would probably freak out and never want to talk to me again _Brittany thought fearful, she definitely did not want that to happen, so she kept her hands to herself.

Little did she know that the girl across from her was going through the exact same battle in her own mind.

"Ok, well I'll see you at the ball the day after next" Brittany said excitement lacing her already bubbly voice, causing Santana to chuckle, "but we should have a codeword for _if _you find me" Brittany teased.

Santana raised a perfect eyebrow "See you then Britt, and _**when**_I find you, you'll know it's me" Santana teased her voice smooth with confidence.

The two girls parted and Brittany went inside her house, only to be greeted by her cousin Artie.

"Who's the fiery lady?" Artie teased "she certainly has you in a blaze" he pointed to her cheeks, which she proceeded to touch, they were hot, great.

"Oh shut up cousin" Brittany swatted at Artie, "her name is Santana and she really is a lovely person"

"I'll bet" Artie said, "I would say those breasts of hers are particularly lovely too, wouldn't you agree cousin?"

"ARTIE!" Brittany whined. Her cousin had always known that she had an attraction to girls as well as boys but being the _graceful_ person he was he never ceased to tease her, but only in private as she had begged him not to tell anyone. The blonde girl did not want to be a source of embarrassment for her uncle as he was doing so well with his business.

"So tell me Brittany, will Santana be accompanying us to the ball?" Artie asked with a smile.

The Pierce girl glared at her cousin before answering, "She will be there cousin yes, I have given her the extra invite that you gave me, we are going as _**friends**_" she emphasised the last word.

"Well then that's perfect" Artie grinned, "She may be my next conquest" he looked at her boldly.

"Don't you dare!" Brittany shouted before she could stop herself, she felt her already red cheeks flush a much deeper shade.

"Ah-ha! I knew you liked her, you can't keep anything from me!" Artie grinned wickedly, "And just so you know, if by what I saw is anything to go by, she's infatuated by you cousin"

"What?" Brittany asked incredulously, "you were spying on me?"

"Well you were outside _**my**_ house, and I just so happened to be at the window...behind the curtain"

Brittany could not help but laugh before stopping short, _he said she liked me._

"What do you mean cousin? What makes you say that? She doesn't even like girls" Brittany said sadly remembering the dress that Santana had gotten as a gift.

"The way she looked at you girl, well she was like a blind man seeing the sunrise for the first time, and when she wasn't looking at you, she was glancing around as if to see if there was any danger, protective like".

"And you saw all this from a peep between the curtains?" Brittany asked amused.

"What can I say? I am a master of character" Artie winked, "trust me cousin, she likes you and who wouldn't eh? You come from a handsome family" he whipped his head back causing Brittany to cry with the laughter.

"I think you're very wrong Artie" Brittany said, but she could not shake the little bubble of hope that resided in her heart for him to be true. _I guess things will become more clear at the ball_.

**A/N: what did you guys think? sorry again for the late update, but I'm working on the next chapter right now so hopefully a sooner update :) Please review if you can. I'm also on Tumblr if you wanna check me out, my url is: santanahoney **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Oh my god I can't believe the amount of alerts I have been getting, thanks so much! So here is chapter 8 a little earlier than planned, it's a bit of a filler chapter but hopefully not too boring!**

**The Next Night**

"You ready?" Quinn asked fixing her hood more securely over her blonde head. Santana in turn fixed her own before giving a curt nod.

They both leaped simultaneously from their previous positions -they were posing as gargoyles on the ramparts of the church- and into the night before diving downwards into a perfectly positioned pile of hay. It was a magnificently mastered thing, a beauty that no-one but assassins got to see. That and their victims, but they can hardly tell of the sight from beyond the grave.

Both girls got up at the same time and brushed the straws of hay from their tunics before proceeding to stalk silently through the city, occasionally climbing walls and leaping from building to building to avoid detection and to make the journey a much shorter one. The two were deathly quiet apart from the odd bird whistle to alert each other of a near by guard, the darkness helping them remain unnoticed.

Soon they reached their destination, an alleyway outside a popular brothel, used by the many men (and sometimes women disguised as men) of Rome. It was here where the two assassins were to wait for their target to emerge.

"We should get some cover Lopez, if the gossip is right the priest likes to take his time" Quinn grimaced, "seriously I would like to one day find a man of God that isn't corrupt to the bone".

Santana chuckled dryly, "if he isn't corrupt then he isn't a man of God, c'mon let's go hide up there" the assassin pointed to a balcony above them consisting of small pillars, a perfect spot to avoid exposure.

Once the two girls were crouched and settled behind the stone they began to chat as they waited for the priest to leave the brothel.

"How are things at the guild?" Santana asked.

"Much the same" Quinn waved a hand, "the master is still fuming about that Pierce guy, I have no idea why though, do you?"

Santana shook her head, no she had still to find out why her father had a vendetta against Brittany's uncle. Just thinking Brittany's name made her forget herself and tingle with excitement for tomorrow. _Shit! I still need to get a dress! Maybe Quinn can help, I'll just say it's something my father wants me to have, who'd question the Master? _And as much as Santana hated to admit it, the blonde girl was the closest thing she had to a sister. They were the perfect team, Quinn was the best tracker their guild had and she was the best assassin, together they were unstoppable.

Tonight though their mission was simple enough, Quinn had been instructed by the master to seek out which brothel the priest went to, which she did by chatting amongst the prostitutes, many of them thought she wanted their service. When Quinn sought out Santana and told her of this as she informed her of the location of the priest, the brunette howled with the laughter.

"Hey Quinn? Can you help me with something?" Santana asked looking at her fellow assassin seriously.

"What is it Lopez? do you need to learn how to wield a blade properly?" Quinn smirked eyes still on the ground below.

"No actually, I need to learn the subtle ability of talking to whores, I mean you have it down to a fine art, all the women were basically giving you themselves for free! how did you manage that Fabray?" Santana bit back letting out a low chuckle at her own wit.

"Shut up!" Quinn hissed, "and I told you already it wasn't for free it was at a discounted pri..." she trailed off as Santana breathed her laughter into the night.

"Hush! There's the bastard now, ugh look at him Santana he's only fixing his pants now, what did he do? Fuck the girls all the way to the door?" Her eyes slanted as she watched the man straighten his clothing, "let's get him" she growled.

Santana abruptly stopped laughing and shut everything out of her mind, except for one thing; _kill. _She zeroed in on the man as he made his journey down the street and with an animalistic nature she stalked him on the rooftops, Quinn flanking her on the lookout for any guards, but there were none, they were alone on the upper level of the city.

Soon the priest neared a courtyard and this is where Santana took her opportunity, she jumped from the ledge of the building she was one and landed on the ground with a crouch before straightening herself up and continued after the man, she signalled to Quinn to carry on which she did, by running ahead with the grace of a gazelle.

_Kill Kill Kill _was all that was going through the young assassin's mind as she walked behind the man getting closer and closer as the priest entered into the courtyard.

She looked ahead and saw Quinn appear out of the shadows further up and amble towards their target with an arrogant walk. The priest also noticed the assassin and stopped in his tracks, Quinn stopped too.

A few moments passed, "Can I help you child?" he then called out to her.

"Forgive you Father for you have sinned" she replied "we know about the whores Father, some of them young girls, I'm not really sure if the collection at mass is really there to go towards them" she snarled, baring her teeth.

The priest took a startled step back "Ho-how d-dare you! Show your face! I want to look upon your face as you spit out these blasphemes lies, so I may be able to find it in my heart to forgive you and to pray for your soul from eternal damnation!"

"Oh cut the crap, you should start praying for your own soul but I don't think that's going to help where you're going" she started again towards him and pulled out a knife, brushing it expertly between her fingers.

The man turned and ran, he did not even notice the Lopez girl standing directly behind him as he crashed into her. Santana took this as her chance and flicked a wrist exposing a blade before plunging it into his chest, covering his mouth as he screamed a guttural cry.

She lay him gently on the ground as he struggled to breathe, the blood pouring out of his wound. He did not have long left, it was a good strike dealt.

"You have wronged out city Father, and for that you have to pay, no man of God is to take the pleasure of the human flesh, let alone use money meant for charity to do so, I only hope that this will send a message to all the others who do so to cease their corruption".

The man's eyes widened before they rolled back into his head. "Requiescat in pace" she murmured into his ear before placing her hand over his face and closing his eyes.

"That bastard isn't worthy of those words, he doesn't deserve peace" Quinn spat on the ground.

She was about to kick the corpse but Santana whipped out her arm and stopped her.

"You see this is why I'm the assassin and you're the tracker, you let your emotions get a hold of you Fabray, besides we have to say those words, it's in the creed".

"Yeah well at least I have emotions" Quinn shot back removing her foot from the brunette's grasp, "like did your face even change as you killed him? You're a cold one Lopez, I suppose that makes you a better killer".

"I just have better control" Santana sighed, "C'mon let's bring the body to the monastery, this is supposed to be a message after all".

The girls picked up the body and carried it the short distance to the monastery and left it outside with a single feather pinned on his chest, a sign that this was an assassin's kill.

On their way back to the guild Quinn piped up, "I'm sorry that I snapped at you back there Santana, It's just I hate seeing all this corruption right in front of us, it just makes me so _angry_" she shook.

"Me too Quinn, but we can't let ourselves get carried away it will only make us as bad as those who we are fighting against" Santana said softly.

"You're right...oh I nearly forgot" she reached into her cloak and pulled out a coin before tossing it to Santana.

Santana examined the coin, it was the one Brittany had given her yesterday, she smiled internally at the memory. "What's this for?" she asked faking confusion.

"It's for that ball everyone is talking about, the Master told me to give this to you, he said you deserved a day off and to have fun" she shrugged, "I however will be stuck with Puck for the night outside, in case there is any shit about to go down, I'll call for you if your needed ok?"

"Ok, Tell him I said thanks will you?" she said, Quinn nodded. "But what am I going to do about a dress?" How strange it was that Santana was about to ask her for her help before she even knew the blonde girl was going to give her the invite. _It's funny how these things work out_.

"That's all sorted, your father has one for you back at the guild, we were all dying to see it but he made sure that we didn't so you'd have some privacy at the party, you know so we won't recognize you" Quinn shrugged her shoulders again, "he cares about you a lot".

"I know" Santana exhaled, taken aback by her father's kindness.

"Anyway I'm going to go and report to the Master, you coming?" Quinn asked. "No...I have some things to do in the city before I can return home" Santana said not willing to divulge her friend into what exactly.

Quinn must have taken the hint because she turned her back from the girl and made her own way back to the guild. Santana waited until she was fully out of site before walking over to the nearest building and scaling it. She was met immediately by an archer on his round who's back was turned to her. She quickly knocked him out with a hard blow to the back of the head, she didn't have to kill _all_ the time.

She made her way to the Pierce's household, again to keep watch on Brittany. Quinn bringing up her father's fury over her uncle made Santana uneasy. She felt better knowing she was around in case anything were to happen at the house.

As Santana settled in her usual spot on the rooftop across from the house, she thought about her day with Brittany yesterday. That girl made her feel so nervous! but so at ease at the same time. The mixture of these feelings was a terrifying thing, but the Lopez girl enjoyed it, the blonde girl made her feel more alive than any adrenaline could. The house remained silent and dark, not even Brittany's window was illuminated by light and Santana smiled at the thought of the blonde girl sleeping, a look of peace on her kind face. _Snap out of it Lopez, you're a damn assassin you don't have time for this sentimental shit._

But still she could not wait for the ball tomorrow. She laughed quietly at the memory of Brittany's uncertainty over how she would just find her there, but Brittany didn't know that she was an assassin. Besides Santana was sure that even without her skills, she would be able to find Brittany, _anywhere_.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review if you can, I'd like to know what people thought good and bad :) If you wanna check me out on Tumblr my url is: santanahoney I'm always on it so come say hi! **


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